Vehicle seat recliners may be of the continuous type that are rotated to adjust the angle of the seat back and remain constantly engaged or may be of the discontinuous type that are released and locked into a desired angular position. Vehicle occupants may prefer to set the seat back in a particular angular orientation for comfort. Coupe style vehicles generally have a vehicle seat that is folded forward over the seat base by releasing the recliner to provide access to the area behind the front seat. After the seat back is folded forward, it is advantageous to provide an easy and reliable mechanism for returning the seat back to a previously set angular orientation.
The following published patent applications and patents were reviewed in the course of preparing this patent application: US 2010/0308635; US 2011/0115272; U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,906; U.S. Pat. No. 7,380,883; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,607.